WE WIN! Celebrating a dramatic walk-off extra-innings win in the Little League semi-finals (some still wearing their inside-out rally caps), from left are Isaac Gengler, Jonah Udstuen, Isaac Griffin (leaping), Chandler Bergrud, Caleb Nerstad, Jakob Myrah and Caden Grinde (#34). The Spring Grove seventh-grade-and-under guys won the annual Fillmore County and Houston County Little League Tournament for the first time in eight years. S. LEE EPPS/Spring Grove Herald

New Albin batter/base runner reaches first base just before the ball reaches the outstretched glove of Lion first baseman Garrett Bergrud. S. LEE EPPS/Spring Grove Herald

Caden Grinde gets the out in centerfield in the semi-final win against. New Albin. S. LEE EPPS/Spring Grove Herald

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Wednesday, July 29, 2015 12:08 PM

For the first time in eight years, Spring Grove's seventh-grade-and-under team, won the Fillmore County and Houston County Little League Tournament. It was only the second time in the last 23 years; records are unavailable from previous summers.

For the first time in eight years, Spring Grove's seventh-grade-and-under team, won the Fillmore County and Houston County Little League Tournament. It was only the second time in the last 23 years; records are unavailable from previous summers.

A sizable group of Spring Grove high school athletes enjoyed a "triple play" of sports in three days in three cities. It began on Saturday with three tournament basketball games at Winona on Saturday, July 25. The next day was a baseball double header at Pine Island. And just as this edition of the Herald was going to press on Monday, there was scheduled a three-team football scrimmage of 7-on-7 (passing only) football.

Life in the United States during the World War II years of the early 1940s reflected both the incredible struggles overseas while trying to retain the way of life we were fighting to preserve. This is the first installment of a look back at Spring Grove High School football and its infancy during those years of worldwide turmoil. The dawn of high school football in Spring Grove came 15 months before the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Summer basketball came to a close for the Spring Grove high school girls while the varsity and B-team boys combined to play 19 games last week. A half-court buzzer beater denied the varsity boys in the championship game of a three-day camp near Lake Superior.

The 2014-15 school year is the second consecutive and the sixth in the last 10 years that Lanesboro has finished with the most Southeast Conference sports championships. No other league team has earned that distinction more than three times.

SG eighth grader/upcoming freshman, Alex Folz, and his Caledonia Miken teammates won the Minnesota age 14-and-under State Baseball Tournament championship last weekend (July10-12) at Apple Valley. The boys won all eight games to come out on top of the 40-team field.

Spring Grove upcoming junior Chase Grinde received the top individual honor at a statewide basketball event last week at St. Joseph. Lion teammate, senior Alex Engelhardt, making his second Top 100 Expo Showcase appearance, was also one of 10 players named to the 2015 all-tournament team.

Two 2015 graduates have been named Spring Grove Athletes of the Year. Dustin Vickerman joins just three other male athletes who have earned the honor more than once (Aric Elton, Sam Morken and Todd Oakes). For the ladies, Samantha Bratland added Athlete of the Year to a long list of achievements.

Patrick Sullivan of Spring Grove has accepted the position of head boys basketball coach at Kee High at Lansing, Iowa. Sullivan has been teaching in that Eastern Allamakee Community School District but last winter was the head basketball coach of the varsity girls at Spring Grove High School.

Trevor Plouffe has developed into a solid major league third baseman. Trevor was drafted in 2004 after an All-American high school career, chosen in the first round (20th overall) by the Twins as a shortstop. Through the years as he learned his craft in the minors, he was occasionally called up to the Twins when someone was injured. But he would bounce around, playing every position — from short to third, second, first, and even a stint in the outfield.